Filter cleaner



Nov. 22, 1955 C.R.TAYLOR FILTER CLEANER Filed Sept. 20, 1952 fi Z4 f "1; 1 22 {I}. 56 i] llillllllllllllllm 16 llll h-nmmllll i 'vi "M" I 1 am lesfl BY Wm United States Patent Office 2,724,455 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 This invention relates to improvements inair cleaner devices and more particularly is directed to a device for facilitating removal of dirt which collects in air cleaners. This device is adapted to be used with air cleaners now on the market and also in conjunction with other devices wherein dirt is collected and must be removed periodically.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 766,567, filed August 6, 1947 for Dirt Tray for Air Filter, now

Patent No. 2,611,447.

In air cleaners now on the market an oil cup is provided which contains a volume of oil through which the air must pass before entry into the exhaust passage of the cleaner. As the air passes through the oil particles of dirt are taken from the air and after a timeprecipitate to the bottom of the oil cup. In most devices now on the market this oil cup is removable and the dirt is emptied periodically. In general when these fine particles of dirt are collected in the oil and permitted to accumulate for any period of time, the particles form a coating on the sides of the cup and at the bottom of the cup which can be removed only with difliculty due to its packed condition and its inaccessible position.

Therefore toelirninate this difliculty it is an object of this invention to provide a removable tray including a base having a floor portion adapted to be fitted in the bottom of the oil cup onwhich the dirt may collect and a means in conjunction with this cup for scraping dirt from the edges of the air cleaner into the cup.

It is another object of the invention to provide a re movable tray with an open base having means which enables the operator to remove the dirt without the necessity of working below the level of the oil in the cup.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a removable tray which is designed to remove particles which adhere to the sides and the bottom of the oil cup.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device which is adapted to be installed in air cleaners now on the market Without change of design or installation of additional parts. i a

These and other objects will be apparenbfrom the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. In the drawing wherein like reference numerals have been used inind icate like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an air filter with the wall of the air filter broken away to disclose a removable trayof the present invention in operative position therein; Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section taken along the line 2-Z of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective with certain parts broken away of a housing for an air cleaner adapted to be equipped with the removable tray of the present invention; i

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a removable tray made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of removable tray made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, there is shown an air cleaner generally designated by the numeral 10 and equipped with a removable tray indicated by the numeral 12 made according to the present invention. Air cleaner 10 comprises an outer substantially cylindrical housing 14 fitted upon a cylindrical oil cup 16 having substantially the same diameter as housing 14. The cup 16l'nas a circular bottom 18 and at the upper free edge thereof an outwardly directed flange 20 which has formed integral therewith an upstanding flange 22 having a greater internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of housing 4. Protection is provided for the upper edge of flange 22 in the form of a rolled edge 24. A plurality of apertures or inlets 26 are provided to permit air to be drawn into the air cleaner 10. An inside housing 28 which is substantially tubular in shape divides the housing 14 into two concentric passages generally designated by the numerals 30 and 32, thus permitting air to travel in difierent directions within housing 14. The upper ends of passages 36 and 32 are filled with a fibrous but porous material such as steel wool 34. When the steel wool 34 is coated with oil it serves to remove foreign particles in the air as the air passes therethrough.

The oil cup 16 has an inner cup 36 disposed therein substantially concentrically therewith, the inner diameter of cup 36 being greater than theouter diameter of inside housing 28 so that inside housing 28 can extend downwardly into the inner cup 36. A plurality of apertures 38 are provided in the walls of cup 36 to permit passage of air between the two air passages 30 and 32 which in etfect extend downwardly into the cups 16 and 36. In operation the cups are filled with oil to a level slightly above the uppermost edge of the apertures 38 so thatair entering passage 32 from pasage 30 must flow downwardly through a portion of the oil. By this arrangement passage of air through apertures 38 into passage 32 causes the oil to be bubbled and the foam formed thereby is carried up into the steel wool or other material 34 in passage 32 thereby washing the steel wool and replenishing the oil therein to increase the efiiciency of the steel wool in removing foreign particles from air passing therethrough.

The upper end of inner housing 28 is: connected to an intake manifold of a vehicle or other point of use for the cleaned air. Air to be cleaned is drawn through the apertures 26 downwardly through the steel wool in passage 30 and through the oil in cup 16. The air then passes through apertures 38 and the oil within cup 36 and thence upwardly through the steel wool in passage 32 and to the upper end of inner housing 28.

With continued passage of air through the cleaner 10 a significant amount of dirt and other foreign particles carried in the air is disposed on the bottom of the oil cup 36 and along the edges of cups 16 and 36. In addition a significant amount of these foreign particles is removed by the oil covered steel wool 34 provided in passage 32. These particles with continued use of the filter are washed down by the foaming oil off of the steel wool and are collected at the bottom of the inner cup 36. Since these particles are necessarily of a fine nature in that they are carried in the air, they form a solid layer upon reaching of upstanding arms 50 and 52 are attached to the base 40- at diametrically opposed points on flange 48. The length of arms 50 and 52 is such that the upper ends thereof extend above the upper edge of inner cup 36. Integral flanges '54 and 56 are formed respectively on arms 50 and 52, the flanges extending radially upwardly to points spaced slightly away from the inner periphery of oil cup '16. I

Scraping blade 42 is attached to flange 54 by means of a pair of rivets 58. Blade 44 is similarly attached to flange 56 by rivets 60. The width of each blade 4244 is equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the inner periphery of cup 16 and the outer periphery of cup 36. Preferably the edges of the blades are shaped to conform to the associated wall, for example, the lower edges of the blades on the outer side are curved in a manner complementary to the shape of cup 16. The vertically extending edges of both blades have angularly disposed edges formed thereon, blade i2 having edges 62 and 64 and blade 44 having edges 66 and 68. These edges are sharpened and serve to scrape the associated wall. More particularly blades 62 and 64 scrape the inner periphery of cup 16 and blades 64 and 68 scrape the outer periphery of cup 36. When it is desired to remove accumulated dirt, the housing 14 and the inner housing 23 are removed. The operator grasps the flanges 54 and 56 "and rotates theentire dirt tray assembly at least one revolution toscrape off the accumulated dirt. More specifically the dirt tray assembly should be rotated clockwise in the direction of the arrow as seen in Fig. 2. The arms 50 and 52 serve to scrape any accumulated dirt from the inner periphery of inner cup 36 down to the floorfportion of the base 40. After rotation of the dirt tray assembly, it is lifted upwardly and the dirt is knocked out of or otherwise removed from the base 40. The oil within the oil cups can be drained and replenished and the dirt tray assembly replaced in operative position.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. of the drawing, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention. Tn this form of the invention the base 70 is a circular ring open at the bottom and having substantially the same diameter as the flange 48 of Fig. 4. Extending radially inwardly from flange 70 is a bar 72 attac'hed'to flange 70 by an attachment flange 74 .by welding or other suitable means. The lower edge of bar 72 has a scraper blade '76 extending therefrom and lying substantially in the plane of the lower edge of flange 70.

A pair of upstanding arms 78 and 80 are attached to flange 70 and carry on the upper ends thereof another circular flange 82. Integral flanges 84 and 86 are formed respectively on arms 78 and 80, the arms extending radiall-y outwardly to points spaced slightly away from the inner periphery of an associated oil cup, such as oil cup 16. Scraping blades 88 and 90 are attached to arms 84 and -86 respectively by rivets '92. The vertically extending-edges'cf each bladehave angularly disposed scraping edges formed thereon, blade '88 being provided with scraping edges 94 and 96, and blade 90 being provided with scraping edges 98 and 100. The scraping edges are so positioned that they will be pointed forwardly when the entire assembly is rotated clockwise when viewed from above. Scraper blade 76 is positioned so as .to be directed forwardly also when the assembly is rotated as explained above.

Although two preferred embodiments of the .invention have been given for purposes of illustration, .it is to be understood that various changes .and modifications :can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly the invention is to be limited only as .set .forth in :the following claims:

I claim:

1. In an air filter structure having a cup for collecting filtered particles, said cup being partitioned to provide a plurality of concentric passages in said cup, one of said passages having a pair of radially spaced concentric cylindrical walls, a removable section having a base adapted to be positioned in the bottom of said cup, at least one scraper blade having a pair of oppositely disposed scraping edges and positioned along the margin of said base, said scraper blade being positioned between said pair of radially spaced walls for scraping said walls, and means connecting said blade and said base, said means providing portions adapted to be gripped to facilitate removal of said removable section from said cup.

2. A removable tray assembly to be used with an air c-eaner including an inner and an outer concentrically positioned cup, said removable tray assembly'including a base formed complementary with the inner cup and having an upper edge, a pair of upstanding arms attached to the upper edge of said base and extending beyond the upper edge of the inner cup, a flange formed on each of said arms and extending radially therefrom, and a depending scraper blade attached to each of said arms, said scraper blades extending across the passage defined between the inner and outer cups.

3. In an air filter structure having a cup for collecting filtered particles, said cup being partitioned to provide a plurality of concentric passages in said cup, a removable tray, said tray comprising a base having a floor portion adapted to be seated .over the bottom of one of the passages, support means extending up from said base and having a flange adjacent its end, and a blade depending from said flange and positioned within a second passage, said blade being adapted to loosen filtered particles from the walls of said second passage and thereby facilitate removal of the filtered particles.

4. In .an air filter structure as in claim 3, wherein said blade haslflanged edges along its marginal boundaries for facilitating removal of the particles on the walls of the passage.

5. In an air filter structure having a cup for collecting filtered particles, a removable tray having a base, said base including a floor portion adapted to be positioned in the bottom of said cup, at least one scraper blade positioned along the margin of said floor portion and having a pair of oppositely disposed scraping edges, and means connecting said blade and said floor portion, said means providing portions adapted to be gripped to facilitate removal of said tray from the cup.

.6. A removable tray assembly to be used with an air cleaner including an. inner and an outer concentrically positioned cup, a removable tray including a base having afloor portion formed complementary with the inner cup,

a pair of upstanding arms attached to said base and extending beyond the upper edge of the inner cup, a flange formed on each of said arms and extending substantially radially therefrom, and a depending scraper blade attached to each of said arms, said scraper blades extending across the passage defined between the inner and outer cups.

7. A removable tray assembly as set forth in claim .6 whereinthe scraper blades .have flanges along the edges thereof and extending therefrom to facilitate removal of particles from the adjacent Wall surface.

.8. A removable tray assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein .the floor portion of the tray has an upturned flange shaped complementary to the inner cup and adapted to scrape the inner periphery of the inner UP when the tray assembly isremoved.

9. A removable assembly for use with an air cleaner,

, ward .-the reenter thereof, 'a scraping edge formed onsaid scraping blade and :lying slightly below the lower edge of said base, and an arm extending upwardly from said base to facilitate rotation of said base and removal of said base from an air cleaner.

10. In an air filter structure having a cup for collecting filtered particles, said cup being partitioned to provide a plurality of concentric passages in said cup, an assembly having a circular base adapted to be positioned in the bottom of said cup, a plurality of scraper blades positioned along the outside margin of said base, a scraper blade positioned along the inside margin of said base and extending radially inwardly therefrom, and means connecting said blades, said means providing portions adapted to be gripped to facilitate removal of said tray from said cup.

11. In an air filter structure having a cup for collecting filtered particles, a removable assembly having a base adapted to be positioned in the bottom of said cup, scraping means for scraping the base and the inside and outside walls of said cup, said scraping means being connected to said removable assembly, and means providing portions adapted to be gripped to facilitate removal of 2 said assembly from said cup. 1

12. A removable assembly to be used with an air arm on said base means extending outwardly beyond the upper edge of the inner cup, and a depending scraper blade carried by said arm and extending across the passage defined between the inner and outer cups for scraping dirt and the like from the confronting walls of said cups.

13. A removable assembly as set forth in claim 12 and further including a plurality of arms and a like plurality of scraper blades, each scraper blade having a pair of 10 opposed edge portions deflected circumferentially in the same direction to facilitate scraping dirt and the like from said confronting walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent 15 UNITED STATES PATENTS 21,309 Alter Aug. 31, 1858 404,217 Morse May 28, 1889 526,596 Weston Sept. 25, 1894 0 2,027,756 Tay Jan. 14, 1936 2,219,176 Donaldson Oct. 22, 1940 2,611,447 Taylor Sept. 23, 1952 v FOREIGN PATENTS 592,613 Germany Feb. 10, 1934 

